We've spent a lot of time talking about green fashion in the form of basics. It makes a lot of sense to parlay a cotton tee program to organic cotton or bamboo, but what about green on-trend luxury? Several notables are making a go - enter The Battalion.
According to the about section on their website, "The goal of The Battalion is to be the modern purveyor of green luxury." The brainchild of Linda Wong and her sister, The Battalion specializes in eco-friendly knits translated into tailored, body con pieces and red carpet worthy dresses. The sisters' mission "to make our world a better place" through "lifestyle enhancing and socially relevant design."
From the branding to the presentation to the garments there is no hippy green going on here. Designs are current and tasteful. With price points from $80-$160, The Battalion has positioned their brand as contemporary women's clothing that just happens to be green.
If you are in the Philadelphia area you can see The Battalion at Arcadia Boutique, 819A North 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19123 (215) 667-8099. The Battalion is carried by retailers in New York, LA, Chicago and some smaller markets and online at Revolveclothing.com and Singer22.com.
--till next week Restore, Recycle, Refresh & Renew
16 comments:
I own a few pieces of clothing from The Battalion and I really love their collections. Their clothing is trendy yet innovative at the same time, something one would find mixed in with clothing at Barneys Co-op. The idea of green luxury is fantastic in my eyes - premium clothing made in ways that don't hurt the environment. If more high-end designers updated their practices to be environmentally-conscious, they could be role models for the rest of the industry. Even integrating a few green materials could raise awareness among other designers.
I agree that green luxury is fantastic market. I feel that if consumers are willing to spend the money on luxury merchandise, the merchandise should at least address its impacts both environmentally and socially. This only adds to the value. One of my favorite green luxury retailers is Beklina.com. The ecommerce site is a family run business consisting of a mother and her daughter from California. They select green luxury designs that are innovative in shape and construction but still wearable for everyday. My favorite brand that the retailer sells is Stewart+Brown. I love Stewart+Brown beyond their apparel design. They have a fantastic design approach because the owners both come from an art background, not fashion. They have a unique aesthetic but are still very wearable. Also they designate a large portion of their website to educating consumers so they understand the importance and complexity of "green" issues. Unfortunately I cannot afford these products but I am still inspired by them and hope one day I will be able to invest in their merchandise.
I think that when people think green fashion the first thing that comes to their minds is basic pieces. Brands that offer fashionable items that are eco friendly make me question why high end designers don't try to produce an eco friendly line, even if it's at a high price point. I love the look of The Battalion. They design fun and trendy pieces and best of all, they are not ridiculously priced.
As eco conscious clothing becomes increasingly relevant, I believe we are going to see more lines that fuse environmental responsibility with high fashion. The Battalion is a great brand because it offers trendy fashion items at a price point that customers are already willing to pay. The fact that the clothing is green is simply icing on the cake. I would absolutely consider purchasing merchandise from a brand like The Battalion.
I love the idea of green luxury. Why not indulge on something good for you and the environment? It's a win win situation for everyone and also creates a movement in the right direction towards sustainability. I actually own a piece of clothing from The Battalion and I absolutely love it. I purchased The Battalion at Arcadia and can't wait until my next pay day so that I can go back! I would really like to eventually invest in more because their collections are really great and trendy, not at all what one would think of as a 'green' collection. Their tag even states that 1% of all sales is being donated to the natural environment which is even better.
I think that the green luxury market is a really good idea. Green items are usually more expensive so if you are buying something that is not a basic you are probably planning on spending more so why not spend a few extra bucks on a green item. In return you get the item you wanted and you are playing your part in helping out the environment.
I think that more people will adapt to going green with fashion once they realize that the clothes look no different from regular clothing. I have never heard of The Battlion but I like what I see on their website and I definitely would not know they were a green line just by seeing the items.
I am all for green luxury! The Battalion collections are a wonderful example of how green clothing can be stylish and trendy. A lot of consumers get stuck in this concept that green clothing is plain and boring...which is not far from the truth coming from a standpoint of where green fashion is at today. I think that with the help of advertising and green luxury campaigns, the trend will catch on sooner or later. We will then be seeing worldly recognized designers coming up with green clothing lines that have luxury written all over them! I for one will look into buying green luxury items because lets face it, I was going to buy that new summer dress anyway...why not make my purchase green!
I was not expecting to see such edgy clothing, when I thought of green fashion. I love it! It is young and contemporary and the best part is it looks super comfortable. These designs are already accepted by most, so why isn't the green luxury trend accepted by all? The prices are high compared to the fast fashion that I am used to buying, but they are not any higher then Urban Outfitters and other places many of us shop. It is about time that we accept green fshion in our standards at every price point.
I think that the luxury market is a great place for green fashion. Those who are shopping in the luxury market are in the position to pay more for their fashion already, so when green options are out there, they are more likely to shell out more money to pay for these greener options. In addition helping the environment is very trendy right now, and consumers in the luxury market are very trend-aware and want to "make a difference". Also, based on the trickle-down theory, once the higher end fashions go green, the lower end fashions could eventually head in that direction.
In a way, I think that green luxury makes even more sense then green basics. Manufacturing environmentally ethical clothing is typically a more expensive process, driving up the price point. In the luxury market, consumers are willing to spend more on clothing. And, I would argue that the consumer who makes a conscious effort to buy environmentally friendly clothing is probably more informed on fashion industry issues and is probably more trend conscious. Brands such as The Battalion offer an option for these shoppers. In addition, in this economy, consumers need more persuasion to make expensive purchases. More sustainable clothing that does less harm to the environment may provide the extra encouragement needed to make a purchase.
Seeing as high end designers and luxury brands are usually setting the trends in some form, it is surprising that they are just beginning to adopt the eco-friendly trends that many apparel companies have been using. One of the front runners in this green luxury movement, The Battalion, banishes the idea that all eco-friendly apparel is simple and mainstream. I found it very interesting that one of the designers for The Battalion, Linda, understood the need to sustain the environment because she had lived in less developed countries during her early childhood. Her personal knowledge and interest in this matter make her designs much more than just following a trend.
The luxury consumer is an interesting and completely practical market to target in terms of eco-friendly fashion. Even though eco-friendly clothes and products are becoming more common, I still think that the general public has pre-conceived thoughts on organic fashion. Most people think of boring, bland basics for hippies. The Battalion's clothing is totally on-trend, youthful and fashionable. Just by looking at the clothing, you would never just assume is was an eco-friendly line. Also, if organic couture became more commonplace, I definitely think celebrities would be willing to wear organic dresses on the red carpet, which would make eco-friendly fashion even more present and trendy in our current world.
I sincerely enjoyed one of the opening statements in the "about" section of this site that says "she recycles because it makes perfect sense". My family always taught me to respect nature and recycle whatever you can because it is the right thing to do, not because we live any extreme green activist lifestyle. Therefore, I completely agree with the statement.I enojoyed browsing through the collection and watching the videos on the site, and I'm happy to be exposed to more options to consider when I shop online! I hope that one day we will be hearing the names of lines like The Battilion in New York Fashion Week!
I have actually heard of The Battalion collection because I often browse revolveclothing.com and singer22.com. I never have actually purchased anything from that line but I thin it is a great idea for there to be a green luxury brand. Since most green products are usually a bit more expensive than "non green" products there is definitely a clientele for the Battalion line.
I would definitely like to take a look at Battalion. It seems like a brand that I would like very much. Even though they are green they are still keeping with fashion and creating trendy affordable clothing collections. They seem like they do a great job incorporation fashion with eco-friendly materials.
The Battalion is definitely taking a step in the right direction and I think this is what all brands should be working toward. Many brands try to work in a green line in tandem with their regular lines and there isnt very much interest. Because unless the customer has an intense interest in green product, they are just going to go for the regular items. Companies should stop creating a promoting separate green lines and start converting their current lines to a more green collection. People who are purchasing luxury want luxury. The general idea of 'eco-friendly' is bland, colorless and hippie. Probably why many of these eco-friendly lines, (like Banana Republic's green line) have disappeared so quickly. The Battalion is setting a great example for its contemporaries.
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